Method of finishing or ornamenting wood.



. W. PARTRIDGE & H. D. GUE.

METHOD 0F FINISHING OR ORNAMBNTING WOOD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1911.

l Patented Nov; 21, 1911.

ZS l BETE-SHEET 1.

Har@ Cue.

)Kr A @Hoz/mu Willi/'0.1m Par/ide s 'if W. PARTRIDGE & H. D. GUE.

METHOD 0F FINISHING 0R ORNAMENTING WOOD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PARTRIDGE AND HARRY D. GUE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

METHOD 0F FINISHING- OR ORNAMENTING WOOD.

.To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM PARTRIDGE and HARRY D. GUE, citizens of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Finishing or Orna` menting Wood, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the method of finishing or ornamenting wood, which consists in burning or charring the surface thereof and then removing more or less of the charred portion of the wood, by rubbing or brushing said surface.

The process of finishing wood as heretofore carried out has consisted in applying a torch or other heat-producing medium, in the open air, to the surface of the wood to be finished. This has resulted in an uneven burning of the wood, due to the fact that the temperature at any point is dependent upon the applied heat, together with the heat generated by the burning of the wood itself, and it is evident that in the open air this amount of heat will vary with each change of air current, so that it is impossible to evenly burn the wood. Asa piece of wood tends to contract at the point or points of greatest carbonization, it is evident that such uneven burning will alter the internal stresses of the wood, making the same differ at different parts thereof, consequently warping or distorting the pieces of wood from their original or unburned shape.

The object of our invention is to burn `the wood on both surfaces ev enly by applying an equal amount of heat to all portions of the surface for the same length of time, and to apply the same-without the disturbing effects of Varying air currents, whereby an even burning of the wood is effected, and consequently the same stresses are roduced at all ortions of the piece of woo so that the re ation of the internal stresses in the wood is not changed and its original shape maintained.

WVith these and other objects in view our invention consists in passing a piece of wood through a chamber heated up to or beyond the temperature at which the wood ignites, so that all portions of the wood are subjected to the same temperature for the same length of time, and an even burning is produced.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 12, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

serial No. 638,170.

Our invention further consists in supplying tothe chamber a controlled amount of air, whereby the rapidity' with which the wood 1s carbonized can be regulated by the amount of air supplied to the chamber.

In the accompanyingv drawings forming part of this application, wherein the same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs, we have illustrated a construction that is capable of carrying out our invention.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is Aor other suitable material, and provided with a central extending combustion chamber 11. This shell is preferably supported on top of the table 12 and secured to end plates 13 bolted to the ends of the table. In the form shown the ends of the shell. are surrounded by a pair of flanged straps 14 suitably secured thereto with the flanges 15 bolted to the inner faces of the plate 13. Extending through the central portion of the lcombustion chamber 11v is a shell 16 preferably formed of cast iron or similar heat-conducting material, the ends of the shell 16 being supported in openings formed in the end plates 13 so that the ends close the combustion chamber 11.

Mounted at each side of the shell 10 of the muiie is a longitudinally extending pipe 17, connected by pipes 18 to a gas supply pipe 19 and with an air supply pipe 20. Extending through the shell of the muie into the combustionchamber 11 are a series of burners 21, 22. Preferablythe burners 21 project downwardly so as to cause the fiame from these burners,-which are all located on one side of the muie, to pass below the shell 16, while the bur'nersf22 on the other side of the muie extend above the shell 16 to cause the flame to pass over the `top of the shell, whereby the products of combustion in the combustionv chamber circulates around the shell 16 and evenly heats all parts of .the same.

23 Ais a iue by which the products of com-'- bustion escape from the combustion chamber 1l.

In order to supply a regulable quantity of air to the heating chamber 24 Within the shell 16, we have illustrated a pipe 25 eX- tending centrally along the bottom of the chamber 24, the pipe being provided with a series of perforations 26 for the escape of air from the pipe into the heating chamber. We also provide a valve 27 in the pipe 25, so that the amount of air supplied by the chamber can be regulated, and consequently the rate of combustion ofI the wood being treated in the chamber controlled. In order to assist in the feeding of boards, or pieces of wood through the heated chamber a shelf 28 may be provided at each end of the muiie, on which the board or piece ofwood rests in being passed through the chamber.

The construction which has just been described merely illustrates one device by means of which our method may be carried out, and we desire to have it understood that any other construction capable of carrying out our method may be used instead of the construction illustrated.

In carrying out our method by the use of the construction shown and described the burners 2l and 22 in the combustion cham* ber 1l are lighted and the chamber 24 heated up to a temperature at least as high as the ignition temperature of the wood to be treated. A board or other piece of Wood to be `treated is now passed through the chamber which it will be noted, inthe construction shown, is open at its ends. As the heat within the heating chamber 24 is above the ignition temperature of the wood, the

surface of the board takes fire and burns evenly throughout its entire surface while passing through the chamber. As the heat supplied to all portions of the board is the same this results in an even burning of the entire surface thereof, and consequently does not alter the relation of the various stresses in the Wood, and the burning of the surface is effected without any warping, or changing in shape of the board or other piece of wood. After the burning operation is completed the surfaces may be brushed, or rubbed, in order to remove a. greater or less portion of the charred part thereof to produce the desired effect. If desired the part after treatment may be split or sawed, in

' order to produce two parts, each having one surface in the manner described, or the board may be used with both sides finished.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of ornamenting wood which consists in introducing the same into a chamber having a temperature as great as the ignition temperature of the wood, whereby both sides of the Wood are burned continuously from one end to the other thereof, and all portions of the Wood subjected to the same temperature.

2. The method of ornamenting wood which consists in introducing the same into a chamber having a temperature as great as the ignition temperature of the Wood and simultaneously supplying air to the chamber, whereby equal carbonization is produced at all points on the surfaces of the wood.

In testimony whereof we aiiX our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM PARTRIDGE. HARRY D. GUE.

l/Vitnesses:

D. J. GUE, T. L. BAYNE. 

